Car-wheel.



No. 709,208. Patented Sept. I6, I902;

- F. E. GRAN A CAR WHE plication filed Feb. 6, 1902 UNITED STATESFREDERICK E. CRANDAL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FIFTI-ISTO WILLIAM B. EWING AND JOHN A. MURPHY, OF LA- GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

CAR-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 709,208, dated September16, 1902.

Application filed February 6, 1902. Serial No. 92.890- (N0 model.)

To all whom it may cancer-71 Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. CRANDAL,

of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveiuventedcertain new and use ful Improvements in Car-\Vheels; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being-had to the accom panying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to an improved construction in cztr v\heels, thesame being more especially adapted for use in connection with the wheelsof street-cars and in cases where the wheels are used in connection withgrooved track-rails.

1n the construction of street-railways the employment of grooved railsis preferred, especially in cities, because such rails interfere muchless with ordinary vehicle traffic than do the ordinary or flange railshaving a single raised tread on which the wheels rest. The use ofgrooved rails has, however, been found objectionable by reason of thefact that mud and dirt from the street-surface accumulate in thegrooves, and the removal thereof involves a considerable expense.Moreover, the mud or dirt which accumulates in the grooves unlessvery'frequently removed by becoming packed solidly therein tends to liftthe tread portions-of the wheels from the rails, so that the wheels runon their flanges. This is exceedingly objectionable in the case ofelectric rails of that class in which the current is returned throughthe rails because of the resistance to the passage of the current fromthe wheels to the rails.

The object of the invention is to providea construction in thecar-wheels whereby the parts of the flanges thereof which extend intothe grooves of the rails act by loosening or displacing the mud or dirtaccumulating in the grooves to prevent the solidification or an enlargedsection taken through one of the grooved rails and the rim of acar-wheel resting thereon. Fig. 3 is a face View, much enlarged, of aportion of the wheel-rim. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing amodified construction in the wheel-rim. Fig. 5 illustrates amodification of the arrangement of the clearing-teeth.

As shown in the said drawings, A indicates the car-truck, and B acar-wheel such as is used for street-cars.

0 indicates one of the rails of a railwaytrack, said rail being of agrooved form having an elevated part or tread cand a depressed orgrooved part c. The wheel B is provided with the usual tread portion 5and flange 1), which latter when the wheel is resting upon the railextends downwardly into the groove 0 of the rail in the usual manner, asclearly shown in Fig. 4.

In the wheel illustrated as embodying my invention the flange of the rimis not smooth, as is usual in car-wheels, but is provided with aplurality of transverse grooves or depressions with intervening ribs,teeth, or elevations, the same extending transversely across the edge ofthe rim, either at right angles thereto or at an oblique angle. Aspreferably arranged and as shown in the drawings, the ribs are spacedapart a distance somewhat greater than their width and are made of thegreatest length or deepest at their middle parts and are tapered orgradually lessened in height in their parts which extend inwardly at theinner and outer faces of the flange. The teeth or projections are alsopreferably made rounded at their edges and where they join'the surfaceof the wheel-flange. As preferably constructed, moreover, said ribsextend inwardly on the inner face of the flange to or near the concaveportion of the flange which bears against the inner edge of the rail, sothat the flange will have a smooth or continuous bearing-surface forcontact with the inner edge of the rail. The particutice.

not radially arranged as in Fig. 3, but are inclined with respect toradial lines extending from the centers of said teeth to the hub of thewheel. 'lheresult obtained by the employ; ment of teeth or projectionswith intervening spaces or notches on the periphery of the wheel-rim isthat of preventing the compacting of the mud or dirt in the rail-groove,and thereby facilitating its removal either th rough the action of thewheel-flanges which enter the grooves or otherwise-that is to say, whilea smooth flange will press the mud. or dirt downwardly into the grooveand will finally ride over or upon the compacted mass therein a toothedflange will tend to break up or loosen the material in the groove and bythe action of its teeth or ribs to a greater or less extent dislodge thesame. In this connection itis to be noted that a notched or toothedwheel-flange entering the groove of the rail will to some extent tend tolift from the groove the material therein. This will be understood fromconsideration of the fact that with respect to the point of contact ofthe tread of the wheel with the rail the part of the rim below the pointof contact will move rearwardly as the wheel turns. As a consequencethere is in fact a rearward sweeping or scraping movement of the edge ofthe rim which in case said edge is toothed or notched will tend to dragupwardly with it loose dirt or material from the rail-groove, and whenthe wheels revolve very rapidly the toothed or notched surface is liableto so dislodge or throw out a considerable portion of the materialwithin the groove.

A special advantage gained by the use of transverse ribs of the specialform described is that ribs of this form do not materially lessen thestrength or durability of the flange nor interfere with the smoothrunning of the wheel on the rail.

In connection with the wheel made as described I have provided upon thecar-truck guards -or deflectors D, extending partially beneath the Wheelrim or flange thereof at both sidesof the wheel and made inclined oroblique, so that any dust or dirt falling from the-rim upon the saiddeflectors will be thrown thereby at one or both sides of the rail andprevented from reentering the groove. The deflectors D D illustrated aremade to incline in both directions from the center line thereof, or, inother words, are of V shape in crosssection; but this particular featureof construction is manifestly not essential and the deflectors may bearranged to discharge at either side of the rail as desired. The deflectors D D shown are attached by means of a supporting-bar D to a partof the car-truck above the same.

I claim as my invention A wheel for railway-cars,the flange of which isprovided with transverse ribs which extend inwardly from the peripheryof the flange along the inner and outer faces of said flange, andwhichare made of greatest length at the periphery of the flange and ofgradually lessening height or tapered at their end portions which soextend inwardly at the inner and outer faces of the flanges.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of January, A. D.1902.

FREDERICK E. CRANDAL.

Witnesses:

O. CLARENCE POOLE, WILLIAM L. HALL.

